


Almost Lover.

by IGotTooManyOTP



Series: Runnin Home To You [2]
Category: Teenage Bounty Hunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, Hannah x Blair, Mentions of Eating Disorder, Slow Burn, mentions of self harm, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29010972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IGotTooManyOTP/pseuds/IGotTooManyOTP
Summary: PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND THE TOP NOTES IN EACH CHAPTER FOR TRIGGER WARNINGS!Where we left was a pretty mean cliff hanger, you don’t HAVE to read the first story, but it is kinda recommended to understand things.Wednesday Updates!
Relationships: April Stevens & Blair Wesley, April Stevens/Sterling Wesley, Blair Wesley & Sterling Wesley, Hannah B & Sterling Wesley, Hannah B/Blair Wesley
Series: Runnin Home To You [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019068
Comments: 29
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**_ TRIGGER WARNINGS FROM HERE UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE! I WILL ANNOUNCE THEM IN CHAPTERS BUT IF I DON’T REMEMBER TO ANNOUNCE THEM PLEASE COMMENT SO I CAN EDIT IT ASAP!!! _ **

**__ **

**_ Mentioned in this chapter: refusing to eat! Refusing to get out of bed! Self-hating thoughts. _ **

AN: I’m tired of staring at this document and trying to see if I’ve missed anything. If I have missed a TW, lemme know... I can’t look at this anymore 

* * *

* * *

* * *

Sterling jumped, looking around, she frowned. She knew where she was. Her head was hurting, a lot. She closed her eyes briefly and saw Blair staring at her as she reopened them.

”Hey,” Blair said softly, a soft sad smile on her face, tears on her cheeks. “There's my sister.”

”Not your sister, ” a voice said.

Sterling’s stomach dropped as she turned her head from where it was cradled in Blair’s lap.

”Dana?”

”Sterling, you okay? You're like... Very pale, ” Blair said, cupping Sterling’s cheek.

”We were just at home, drinking hot chocolate, talking to April. About me, remember?” Sterling asked, eyebrows creasing in confusion.

”Uh, Sterl? You’ve just been kidnapped… And then you fainted when we found out that… We’re not…”

”We are, ” Sterling said confidently, pushing herself to sit up. ”We always will be. We’re sisters. Nothing will change that, Blair.”

”Yeah?” Blair asked with tears in her eyes.

”Of course. You and me, always. Remember?” Sterling held a pinky out towards Blair.

Blair, with a watery laugh, hooked her pinky around Sterling’s.

”Hey, uh… Love this moment, but, the cops will be here any moment. You need to get out of here, ” Bowser said, snapping Sterling back into the moment.

”Right… Mum, ” Sterling looked to Debbie, completely ignoring Dana. ”Can I please go back to the lock-in… Please? I know I don't have a phone but-”

”I’ll come too?” Blair offered. There was no way that Blair was going to leave Sterling alone for a while.

”Really?”

Blair nodded.

The girls looked to Debbie and Anderson.

”Please?” They both asked, their eyes softening.

”Sure, if you both seriously want to go,” Debbie said nodding.

”Are you joking? I’m never letting Sterling out of my sight again.” Blair scoffed. 

”Alright girls, in the car. Thank you, Bowser, ” Anderson said, shaking Bowser’s hand as Sterling, Blair and Debbie got into the car.

”𝐼 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦. 𝐴𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑎𝑑,” Sterling said once she’d gained Blair’s attention, thankful that just because they found out they weren't twins didn't mean their connection was severed.

Blair nodded. ”𝐴𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑙.” She opened her arms, letting Sterling know she was there for her.

Sterling slid closer and leaned against Blair as Anderson started driving back down the highway towards their school.

* * *

On the way to the school, Debbie had called Ellen, letting them know they were on their way to drop Blair off and Sterling as she’d forgotten something at home and needed to pick it up. 

The teacher had said she’d wait by the door to let them in and by the time they’d gotten there after ducking home quickly to pick some things up for Blair, as Sterling had left almost everything of hers there earlier on, most of the scavenger hunt was finished.

Sterling grabbed her items and dragged them to a different room, away from everyone. Blair followed, dropping her stuff down.

”Hey, Sterl!” Luke called from one end of the hallway. ”I thought you were leaving.”

”I…”

”She came with our mum to come get me, Luke.” Blair informed him when he jogged over to them.

”Cool, wanna hang out tomorrow, Sterling?” He asked, smiling nervously as he reached to hold her hand. 

”Look, Luke… I made a mistake,” Sterling said, not looking up to meet his eyes as she tucked her hands behind her back. ”I shouldn't have kissed you, I'm sorry. I thought that maybe I could force myself to feel something again, but I was wrong.”

”Oh, okay,” he said, his voice soft.She still didn't look up. She knew the face of absolute wounded puppy he’d be trying to pull.

”Why don't you go hang with April? Isn't that who you're sleeping beside anyway?”

”Well, yeah, I-”

”Well, yeah, nothing,” Blair snapped, frowning. ”Go!” Pointing away from them, watching as he all but ran to get away.

”You kissed him?” Blair asked in a growled whisper, pulling Sterling back into the room they were going to sleep in.

” I didn't mean to, April just broke up with me and I thought if I tried to start something with him, it would make her jealous. Also... he wanted to ask her out.”

”Wait… She… Oh, I'm going to punch her.”

”No, Blair, please don’t. She’s not worth it.”

”Not worth it? For hurting my sister? Anyone who hurts you deserves to get punched.”

”Blair, please, can we just… Sit? And talk?”

”Okay, ” Blair said, heaving out a sigh as she sat down.

Sterling sat on her sleeping bag and crossed her legs, leaning against the wall. ”when I passed out, I had a weird… I guess you could say it was a dream. It felt like weeks had gone by. You were kind of dating someone new.” Sterling didn’t want to say who incase Blair reacted differently to who it was now than she did in the ‘dream.’ “I was actually in a relationship with A-” Sterling stopped talking at the sound of people running by the room looking for more clues. ”She was practically living with us, we were both out to our parents and hers didn't take it as well. Her dad didn't at least, her mother was super nice. Her father called her grandmother from prison- oh my God, he’s out, by the way, home… That’s why she ended things tonight.”

”Woah, okay. This is a lot to take in… So then what?”

”Apparently I had an addiction to painkillers at one stage, ” Sterling said with a dry laugh. It wasn't a laughing matter, she hated drugs.

“What? You? Yeah right. Like that'll ever happen!”

“I know right? Crazy.”

* * *

The girls spent the rest of the night talking- well, Sterling talked. She talked about everything that happened in her ‘dream’.

“Oh,” Sterling whisper-yelled. “You were in a book club!” 

Blair didn’t say anything, and Sterling almost took her silence for the fact that her sister had fallen asleep due to the late hour, but as the sun started to seep through the windows, Sterling saw a blank look on her sisters face. 

“Oh god, you’re in a book club? Is it with April’s mother?”

“She’s actually pretty cool,” Blair said softly, shrugging as she yawned. 

Sterling laughed, a genuine laugh, not a mocking one, and it made Blair start to laugh too. 

“People are trying to sleep. Will you two be qui- I thought you left.”

Both girls looked at the door quickly at the sound of a voice and Blair was up quicker than Sterling could blink.

“You don’t get to tell her what to do, especially tonight,” Blair said, her voice low and dangerous, sending a chill down Sterling’s and April’s spines. 

Sterling looked away from April and Blair, swallowing the tears that had started to form at the sight of the shorter teen.

Memories of her in the dream flooded her system and Sterling hiccups a sob before she pulled her knees to her chest and before Blair could move, she was being pushed aside by April- who was stronger than Blair thought. 

“Are you okay?”

Sterling laughed bitterly, shaking her head as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. 

“Am I okay? Y-You practically dumped me, I got kidnapped, passed out after finding out my sister is actually my cousin and somehow dreamt that you and I were together for two weeks… am I okay? No… I’d rather be in the reality where I was apparently addicted to painkillers because it was hurting a whole lot less than seeing you right now.”

“Sterling,” Blair said, coming over to her sister. “Please don’t even joke about that.”

“No, you’re right. I’m sorry, Blair.”

“Kidnapped?” April asked, processing what Sterling had told her. “You were kidnapped?”

“April, you need to go. You’re only upsetting her more. You’ve caused enough pain to last a lifetime, stay out of our way or I’ll make your life hell,” Blair said, holding Sterling close as she knelt beside her sister. 

April stood and backed away slowly, swallowing the pain that had lodged itself in her throat. It was her fault that Sterling had been kidnapped. If she had just saved her a spot, Sterling wouldn’t have left and she wouldn’t have been kidnapped. 

That’s what April believed. That’s what was going through her mind. That it was all her fault. 

* * *

Sterling didn’t go to school for the rest of the week after that, Blair stayed home with her, and their parents didn’t fight them on Sterling’s want to stay home. They didn’t fight them on Blair staying with her. Blair was moodier than usual, Sterling was quieter than usual, Debbie and Anderson were more concerned than usual. 

Sterling barely touched her food when it came time to eat, she mostly pushed it around her plate. 

It had been a week exactly when Debbie had had enough of the difference in the households mood. “Do you two have any questions?” She asked.

“I do,” Sterling said. “How did you get me?” 

“Well, we were home what-” Debbie looked at Anderson. “Two days?” He nodded. “I’d just put Blair down for a nap when Dana knocked on the door, your father had gone to the store to get some groceries… Dana said she’d had you, handed me your birth certificate with our names on it. She’d lied and said she was me. She handed you to me and left.”

“And what, she suddenly wanted me back?” Sterling asked, frowning.

“I don’t think so, I think she was using you as leverage to get more money.”

“Oh.”

Blair let out a noise of disgust and stood, taking her plate with her, scraping the last few bites into Chloe’s bowl before stacking her plate with the dirty dishes.

“Let me know when I need to do the dishes, I need to check my emails to see if I have homework.”

Sterling watched her sister leave and her heart sank.

She thought about how different of a situation the other her would be in right now if she hadn't fainted … if the other her was the real her- but without the painkiller addiction. She did not like that. 

She frowned, sitting up straighter. 

“Was Dana a drug addict?”

Debbie choked on a sip of her drink. 

“Wh-What makes you ask that, dear?”

“Was she?” Sterling pressed.

“She was addicted to painkillers, and had a nasty smoking habit.”

Sterling nodded.

“I’m not hungry, may I be excused please?”

“Of course, dear. Think about school, it’s important, okay?”

“Yes ma’am,” Sterling said with a nod, taking her plate to the kitchen. She stopped by Chloe’s dish, emptying her food onto it before rinsing her plate so it wouldn’t be a bitch to clean for Blair and set it under Blair’s.

Slowly making her way upstairs, Sterling stopped by her desk, grabbing her laptop before taking it to her bed, her charger thankfully reaching all the way to the pillows.

She opened up a search bar and frowned as she searched her brain for things that were said in her dream. 

She looked up as she sensed someone at her doorway and gave a small smile. “Hey.”

“What’re you doing?” Blair asked, slowly moving into the room.

“Thinking- what’s that music app you were talking about at one stage?”

“Pandora? YouTube? Soundcloud?”

Sterling shook her head at all of the answers. 

“Spotify?”

“Oh! That’s it,” Sterling typed into the search bar.

“Here, you can join my account,” Blair said as she pulled her phone out, sending a link through to Sterling’s emails. 

“Open your emails and click the link.”

“Okay?” Doing as told, Sterling loaded up her emails and her eyes widened at the multiple unread emails from school, April, even one from Garrett who’d helped them in Nandina. 

“What’s that?” Blair asked, pointing to the one from Garrett.

Shrugging, Sterling clicked on it and waited for it to load. “Information on Dana, he apparently did some more searching after we got off the phone - Nothing came up on mum cause it was all Dana. She burnt the clinic.”

“Wow, evil.”

“Yeah, crazy.” Sterling typed a quick reply to him, thanking him for his help, letting him know Dana was now in jail.

She scrolled back to the top of her emails and clicked on the one Blair just sent her, ignoring every other email.

She wanted to know what April had said, but not with Blair there. Not with her ready to groan and grumble. 

Clicking the link, Sterling set up an account via all the prompts the link sent her through and sighed with relief as the account was finally set up.

“Why didn’t you use your name?” Blair asked, noticing Sterling only used the name ‘Wesley’.

Sterling shrugged. “I don’t want people to see my music taste, it’s not as good as yours.”

“Aw, you do listen to me, Sterls,” Blair said, smiling happily.

“Blair,” Debbie called up the stairs. “Dishes please.”

“Coming,” Blair called out, kissing the side of Sterling’s head. “Why don’t you make some playlists and when we get the rest of the money from helping catch Dana, we’ll get you a new phone so you can have good music on it.”

“Yeah, sure. Weird that Bowser still hasn’t been paid yet,” Sterling said with a frown. 

“It is a big one, must be taking time to process.”

* * *

On Monday morning, Sterling woke at ten, stretching with a sigh before glancing over at her clock. She had no energy to do anything she reached for the phone that Blair had gone out and gotten for her the day before as the money from Bowser had finally come in.

She frowned when she saw a message from Blair on her screen from seven in the morning. 

“ Is it still morning for you? Eh, whatever… morning, sis! I went back to school today. I actually missed it, weird right? I’ll miss you a lot. See you this afternoon, message me if you want me to bring home anything for you, I might even run by and see Bowser. Love you. Made mum and dad promise not to bother you at all. Take your time feeling ready to do whatever you want. ”

Sterling rolled back over, unplugging her phone.

She logged into her Spotify and loaded up the playlist she’d made the night before, plugging her headphones in as she pressed play, closing her eyes once more. 

* * *

Sterling woke again to the feeling of something on top of her and she opened her eyes slowly, groaning when she couldn’t move. “Blair.”

“What?”

“Can’t move,” Sterling said, trying to shift out from under her sisters tight embrace. 

“Oh, sorry… mum said you never came out of your room today,” Blair said as she moved off of Sterling. “You okay?”

“I’m just tired, can I go back to sleep please?”

“Sure, I put your phone on charge, it was on two percent when I came in earlier.”

“Thanks,” Sterling said as she tilted her head to look up at her alarm clock. It was just after five in the afternoon. She didn’t mean to sleep all day, she just couldn’t manage to keep her eyes open. 

“You want me to bring you something to eat?”

“No, I just want to sleep,” Sterling said as she rolled away from her sister and pulled the blankets up over her head. 

“Sterl,” Blair murmured, sounding broken. 

“Blair, please… just let me sleep… I just… I just want to sleep,” Sterling said, her voice tired, emotionally and physically drained.

“April hasn’t been seen since the lock-in.”

“She’s probably with her family,” Sterling said, shrugging, forcing herself to not thing of the shorter teen. She’d tried so hard not to think of April. It had worked until now. 

“Not even Hannah or Ezekiel has heard from her. She hasn’t even been on the schools forums to collect or hand in homework.”

“Okay, cool. Neither have I, what’s your point, Blair?”

“I think somethings wrong, Sterling. I think I fucked up by yelling at her at the lock-in.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll sort it out. She’s a big girl. You’ve never cared before, why start now?”

“Because I can see that you love her, Sterling. More than you loved Luke.”

“Blair,” Sterling said with a sigh, her voice groggy. “Please, let me sleep.”

“Fine, but I’m coming back to force you to eat and drink something at dinner time.”

“Just leave me alone, please? I’m fine. I’ll eat when I’m hungry.”

Blair stood, sighing. “Okay, I’m sorry. I love you, Sterl.”

“Love you too,” Sterling said softly.

Before leaving, Blair leaned down, pressing a kiss to the lump of blankets where Sterling’s head was. 

At the sound of the door clicking shut, Sterling pulled her head out from underneath the blankets and reached into her bedside drawer. She blindly felt around before grabbing out her Bluetooth headphones and connected them to her phone after a little stuffing around. Once connected, she stuck them on her head and put the playlist back on, closing her eyes again.

Ever since waking up at the trailer park with her head on Blair’s lap, Sterling hadn’t been able to dream of the other reality, memories or moments and it had been driving her insane.

She missed it.

She missed being close with April.

She missed being beside her at night, and in the morning, and always being on a call with her. 

It physically hurt Sterling’s heart whenever she woke and she was stuck in this reality without April. Without her happiness.

She felt her tears start to fall again and pulled the blankets back over her head, sniffling as she cried herself to sleep once more.


	2. Chapter 2

Oh damn, did not mean to sleep all day, my bad... here’s the new one for ya’s! 

TRIGGER WARNINGS: HOSPITALISATION! MENTIONS OF CPS/EATING DISORDERS AND SELF HARM!

* * *

When Sterling woke up next, she squinted before closing her eyes again, the lights were too bright, hurting her head. She was dehydrated from the tears she’d cried, exhausted from the lack of food and water, and with a hand on hers, she frowned. 

The sheets beneath her were itchy and hard. She fought to open her eyes again at the sound of a beeping and make a move to slap at her alarm thinking Blair had changed the settings again, but the hand on hers held tighter.

“Don’t move, please. You’ll end up ripping the IV out, again.”

Sterling’s eyes flew open at the sound of April’s voice.

“Hi,” April said softly when Sterling’s faded blue eyes met her own muted green ones. They could tell just by looking at each other that the other was so exhausted.

Sterling pulled her hand free and held it to her chest, looking at the other teen confused. 

“I-I’ll get Blair,” April croaked out, standing slowly, giving Sterling one last look before she stepped out of the room.

Sterling looked around, trying to gage which reality she was in. Surely if it were the happier one she wouldn’t be here in hospital, right? Unless something had happened to cause memory loss. 

Her eyebrows crinkled as she looked at the machine beeping above her head. 

“Sterl?”

Sterling turned her head to the doorway, looking at Blair.

She didn’t seem like the happy one that was dating Hannah- but then again, maybe Sterling being here had wiped that smile off her face.

“Is this real?” Sterling asked hesitantly.

“Yeah, Sterl… it’s real… you went back to sleep, and when I came to wake you for dinner like I said I would, you wouldn’t wake. Your pulse was really weak,” Blair informed her as she stepped further into the room, sitting where April had been sitting.

“Why was April here?”

“I ran into her in the hallway,” Blair said, glancing over her shoulder to see their parents waiting patiently to come see Sterling.

“What’s the time?”

Blair pulled her phone out. 

“Almost three in the afternoon. You’ve been here a day and a half.”

“Oh. When can I go home?”

“There’s an investigation going on, the doctors found your hospitalisation suspicious. Hopefully soon though.”

Nodding slowly, Sterling glanced out the window. 

“Sterl?”

“What?”

“Look at me, please?”

Sterling turned her head back to look at Blair, her eyes catching April’s as she saw her in the hall talking to Debbie with her mother there also.

“What?” Sterling asked, looking at Blair.

“Is this… reality so bad?”

“What do you mean?”

“You just seemed so happy when you were telling me about the other one, and now you won’t do anything, you won’t do anything other than sleep. It’s scaring me, Sterling. I can’t lose you, you’re my sister.”

“I’m fine, Blair. Can I just get some sleep, please?”

Sighing, Blair ran a hand through her hair as she fought back the tears that threatened to fall and nodded, standing.

“April’s needs to talk to you about some things.”

“Well, I would like to sleep right now.”

“Sure, Sterl… when you’re done sleeping your life away, let me know when you have time for your family, okay?” Blair snapped, stomping out of the room as the tears finally fell. 

She knew she shouldn’t have unleashed her anger on Sterling like that, but she was hurt, and Sterling didn’t even blame her for it.

She watched Blair leave, her eyes filled with tears that she blinked away before she sniffled and turned to look back out the window, closing her eyes. She wasn’t even tired anymore, she just kept her eyes closed, not wanting to feel the pain or numbness that had taken over her body. 

* * *

The next day, the doctors forced her to stay awake, they kept coming in, checking on her. She knew what it meant. They had her on suicide watch. She wasn’t suicidal. She just didn’t want to be awake. She wanted to be in the dream land. Where she was happy with April. Where her family was happy. Where Blair was happy.

A knock on the door made her sigh and keep her eyes focussed on the window.

“I said I wasn’t hungry. Please don’t leave any food, the smell makes me feel sick.”

“I don’t have food, Ms Wesley.”

Sterling turned her head slowly, looking the woman over carefully. She was in neat clothes, she frowned as she studied the woman’s behaviour as she moved further into the room.

“Who are you?”

“My names Avery Ellis. I work for child protective services. I was called in to look at your folder and thought I’d come down to meet you, if that’s okay?”

Sterling scoffed, grabbing the remote that controlled the bed, pushing the button to sit up. “Why?”

“You were brought here very malnourished and dehydrated, when was the last time you ate?”

Sterling thought, she thought hard. She frowned, only remembering her dream’s reality of lasagne that April had made.

“I dunno. But it was my choice. I went through a breakup. A bad one. This isn’t anyone else’s fault, okay?”

“A break-up, huh? Love of your life?”

Sterling shrugged. “She could have been. It wasn’t even a break up, we weren’t even officially together.”

“Right… she?”

Sterling swallowed.

“Oh, I just want to make sure I heard correctly, I’m not a homophobe. Well, I hope not, it would make my marriage to my wife quite awkward.”

Sterling tilted her head and was about to say something when someone else knocked on the door. 

“Yolanda,” Sterling said, sighing in relief when she saw the other woman.

“Hi, sweetie. I’m so sorry I couldn’t come sooner, are you okay?” Yolanda asked as she moved around the bed, easing herself up into the edge, wrapping a Sterling into a hug.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“Who are you?” Yolanda asked, eyeing Avery skeptically.

“Avery Ellis,” Avery said, holding a buisness card out between two fingers for Yolanda to take.

“CPS? Sterling, do your parents know she’s here? Does anyone?”

Sterling shrugged. 

“I haven’t said anything anyways. They think it’s all mum and dads fault. It’s not though, Yolanda, you know that, right?”

“Of course I know that, your parents would blow up a trailer park for your safety.”

Sterling chuckled, shaking her head. 

“So, Ms Wesley. Why aren’t you eating?” Avery asked.

“I’m not hungry.”

“Why?”

“I’m just not, okay? I don’t want to eat, I don’t want to be here. I want to be at home, in my bed, sleeping. I hate it here. I hate it. I hate everything about it here. It sucks. I’d rather be years sober from drug addiction than be here.”

“What?” Yolanda and Avery asked at the same time.

“Not cool,” another voice said.

Sterling looked up, a small smile on her lips at the sight of Blair in the doorway.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Enough with the talk of painkillers, okay? It’s different, I get it. But you’re here, you can make that … this, but without the drugs, Sterl.”

“Is this…” Avery asked, gesturing to Blair.

Sterling choked on air. “This is my twin, Blair. You obviously didn’t do very good research if you didn’t know what my sister looked like.”

Sterling’s stomach rolled uneasily at the mention of the word twin. She knew Blair and her would always be sisters- twins too, they were literally born on the same day. Just at different times. In different hospitals, and by different women. She’d seen the birth certificate Dana had given Debbie. She’d seen the forgery Debbie had created to make it similar to Blair’s. Make them look like they were at least born in the same hospital.

“Hi, who the hell is this?” Blair asked.

“CPS,” Sterling and Yolanda replied in unison.

Blair rolled her eyes, opening her bag as she moved closer to the bed, handing a folder to Yolanda. “Right, anyway… Yolanda. Skip, Bowser. He said you were dropping by here so I thought I’d come trade places.”

Yolanda nodded, stroking a hand over Sterling’s matted hair. “I’ll come see you again soon, okay? Be good. Please try to eat. I’ll get Bowser to bring you some yogurt.”

Sterling’s face scrunched in digust. “Please, no. I’m really not in the mood for fro-yo. Maybe another day, but do come back. I’ll have Blair text you if I ever get released, I’ll come visit.”

Yolanda nodded, kissing the sisters on the forehead before leaving.

“Look, there’s no adult. You can’t be here, especially without permission,” Blair said, glaring at Avery.

“Right, well,” Avery said as she stood, leaving a business card on the rolling table patients usually ate off. “I’ll leave this here. Call me if you need to, Sterling.”

“I won’t,” Sterling said, sighing as she looked to Blair, not bothering to watch the woman leave.

“I’m sorry, Sterl. I shouldn’t have gotten angry.”

“No, you had every right to be,” Sterling said. Shifting over a little patting the bed.

Blair climbed up, cuddling against her sister.

“I found out why April is here, but I think that it is her story to tell.”

“I… I can’t, Blair. It hurts. Way too much.”

“I know, it’s okay. You do everything in your own time, okay?”

“It was my fault though, that she’s here,” Blair said softly.

“What do you mean?”

“I think you should talk to her… she’s down the other end of the hall.”

Sterling nodded slowly. “Maybe, maybe tomorrow… maybe. No promises.”

Blair nodded. “No promise needed. Can I bring you anything when I come in tomorrow?” Blair asked, lightly playing with Sterling’s hair.

“No, I’m okay. Thanks though.”

“Seriously? No phone? Laptop? Something to binge watch something on?”

“I’m fine, I just want to go home.”

Snuggling closer, Blair sighed. “I know. Soon enough you’ll be back home with us. Chloe’s been sleeping at your bedroom door, it’s so weird not having you around all the time.”

“I hate it too, I miss home, you, Chloe… I miss my bed.”

“Yeah, this sucks.”

Sterling laughed lightly and nodded. “That it does, Blair… that it does.”

* * *

When Blair came back the next day, she stopped in the doorway of Sterling’s room when she saw her sister sleeping and April reading to her. A smile slid onto her lips as she stepped into the room quietly, a gentle hand coming to settle on April’s shoulder, the shorter teen flinched and spun quickly, fear all over her face before she noticed it was Blair and covered her features with a neutral expression.

”Sorry, ” Blair said. ”Didn't mean to scare you. You okay?”

April nodded, looking back at Sterling. ”she’s been asleep since before I got here.”

”Yeah, the nurse said she didn't even wake up when she was checking on her throughout the day.”

”Is she okay?” April asked.

”not really, but I think you two need to talk it out.”

”She won't even say two words to me let-alone one. How am I supposed to have a full-on discussion with her?”

Blair shrugged. ”just do what I do, when she’s properly awake, just start talking and ignore her when she tells you to shut up. Although if doubt she’d actually say ’shut up’ to you.”

April smiled sadly and stood, but Blair shook her head. ”Sit back down, stay. It’s fine. Stay as long as you need to.”

”I've been here for two hours, Blair. I'm sure my nurse if bored waiting for me in the hallway.”

”Hey, April?”

”Yeah?”

”I really am sorry for snapping at you like that the night of the lock-in, okay?” Blair watched as April readjusted her sleeves and nodded stiffly. ”April, I mean it. It was uncalled for. You didn't do anything wrong. You were protecting yourself and Sterling and we had a really bad night with Dana kidnapping her… Please, I'm sorry.” Blair rested her hands on April’s shoulders and before the other teen could protest, Blair pulled her into a hug.

”You are so strong, your life is worth living. You are where you need to be, okay? Just take a deep breath. If you ever need to talk to someone outside of your circle- even when you and Sterling are close again… I'm here for you… I mean it. Middle of school? Middle of the night? I'm there. Call me, text me, seek me out. I'll be there for you. You are amazing, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Especially me, especially your father. Got it?”

April pulled away from the hug, wiping her eyes as she nodded and Blair hugged her tightly once more before petting her leave. ”I’ll text you when I'm leaving here if you want to come to see her alone again.”

”Thank you, Blair, ” April said softly, wiping away her tears as she walked out of the room.

Blair dropped into the chair after April had left and signed, rubbing a hand over her face before looking at Sterling. ”she’s gone, why won't you just talk to her?”

”I'm not ready yet, ” Sterling said, turning her head to look at Blair, tears in her eyes. ”She tried to kill herself?”

”A lot of shit went down and me yelling at her didn't help one bit. Please, Sterling. Talk to her.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNINGS: MENTIONS OF ABUSE, SELF HARM, AND STERLING’S REASONS FOR NOT EATING!

Sterling pulled nervously at the blanket after Blair had left to go home, she said she’d messaged April and that she was just finishing off her dinner and would head down.

At the sight of the food cart going past, she scrunched her face, the smell of the various foods causing her stomach to roll uneasily.

”Eating tonight?” the worker asked, stopping at the door to save herself extra time. Sterling shook her head and the worker sighed before continuing to the next room.

Sterling looked at the hair tie around her wrist and couldn't remember the last time she’d even had a brush in her hair. The band was digging uncomfortably into her wrist but there was no way to get it off due to the IV sticking in the back of her hand. 

She tugged at the band, letting it snap at the red indentation a few times before someone clearing their throat gained her attention. 

”you don't have scissors, do you?” she asked without looking up.

”Uh, no… Not in the suicide prevention ward.”

Sterling's eyes widened and she looked up at April. ”I… My hairband... It's hurting...”

”One second, ” April said, turning around to talk to her nurse.

Within a minute, they both stepped into the room and with quick work, the nurse had taken the IV from Sterling’s hand, removed the band off of her wrist, and reapplied the IV to the back of her hand. 

”Thanks, ” Sterling said, rubbing her wrist as she watched the nurse nod and step back outside the room. ”She’s talkative.”

April smiled softly as she gestured to the seat and the blonde nodded. ”She doesn't say much at all, asks how I slept when she gets here in the morning and bids me goodnight when she leaves.”

”What do you do all day?” Sterling asked with a frown.

”Read, mostly. Sometimes I draw. Other times I'm in the group hall looking out the window.”

”Oh. I didn't know that there was a group hall.”

”They didn't tell you that when you were admitted?”

”I didn't even know I was in a suicide ward until the other day. I didn't come voluntarily anyway. Blair couldn't wake me for dinner.”

”You tried to OD?”

”Lord, no! I just… Haven't suitably eaten in I can't remember how long, guess my body shut itself down bit by bit.”

”You haven't eaten in here?”

Sterling shook her head.

”The smell of the food makes me want to throw up. Nothing looks good, I tasted the salad and it was slimy.” Sterling scrunched her face at the memory and gagged.

”Sterl, you have to eat something, ” April said softly, reaching out to gently take Sterling's hand.

Sterling looked down at their hands and April assumed she’d done wrong by touching her, so she went to pull away, but Sterling turned her hand over, catching April’s hand, holding onto it.

”Do you want to talk about why you haven’t eaten?” April asked, using her free hand as she stood a little to pull the chair closer to the bed before sitting again, looking up at the blonde as she gave Sterling’s hand a light squeeze.

”Do you want to talk about why you're in here?” Sterling asked,

April took a hesitant breath and looked at their hands, watching as Sterling’s hand stroked across her knuckles.

”Can I get you something to eat? Jello? Custard? Something small? We can talk while you eat.”

Sterling stopped her thumb from moving, her mind processing April's words before she nodded.

”Custard sounds okay, ” Sterling said softly.

”really?” April asked, her eyes widening. She wasn't expecting Sterling to give in so easily.

”Really. I’d do anything for you, April. You should know that by now, ” Sterling said, her thumb continuing to move across April’s knuckles as a light crinkle crossed the blonde's brow. ”what happened here?” she asked, tapping on one of April’s knuckles.

”I punched my father.”

Sterling’s jaw dropped open at the blunt and quick admission before she licked her lips and nodded. ”Fair enough.”

”Nadia?” April asked, turning her head to look over her shoulder, getting her nurses attention,

The woman looked up from her book, raising an eyebrow.

”Sterling would like to eat, can we go down to the kitchen?” April asked, and the woman nodded.

”I’m allowed out of my room?” Sterling asked softly.

”I don’t see why not, kid. You’ll be with me. You won't go looking for knives, will you?”

”No ma'am, I just want custard. I said I'd eat for April, so I will.” 

The nurse smiled, nodding. ”Well, let's get you up out of bed then… You can walk, right?” Nadia asked, coming into the room after marking her page.

”Yeah, I can walk. Just have to drag this around, ” Sterling said as she gestured to the IV that was on a rolling pole, tossing the blankets off her legs.

She was glad Blair had brought her in some sweatpants and a hoodie instead of pyjamas. Her pyjamas didn't feel right for the hospital.

”Which way?” Sterling asked as she stepped onto the cold floor, looking at April who held a hand out towards the blonde.

Sterling made her way around the bed and gently took April's hand, smiling softly as April led the way down the corridor, the shorter teens nurse following close behind them.

When they got to the kitchen, April looked around before leading Sterling over to the fridge, pulling it open with her free hand she stacked a few custard cups up and stuck them in the pockets of her (absolutely not hospital issued) robe before looking at Nadia. 

”If you don’t trust us enough, do you want to get us some spoons?”

Nadia shook her head and waved her on.

April nodded, heading over to a drawer, tugging it open with precision to avoid it sticking- like she’d done it before… But Sterling didn't comment on it as she watched April put some plastic spoons into her pockets and lead her back to her room.

Nadia sat back outside Sterling’s room and continued to read her book while the girls sat on the bed after Sterling had situated the pole out of the way and moved over enough that April could sit beside her. 

April pulled the custard cups and spoons from her pockets and reached over, dragging the rolling table over to set them all on.

Sterling watched as April peeled back one of the lids and stuck a spoon into it before handing it to the tall blonde. ”Here. You said you’d eat, I said I'd tell my story.”

Sterling wiped the bottom of the spoon off on the edge of the cup so it didn't make a mess on her hoodie and put the spoon in her mouth, swallowing the custard with a little difficulty.

”Is it okay?”

Sterling shrugged but loaded up another spoonful and gestured April to start talking while the shorter teen watched her eat.

”The night of the lock-in, when my father came home, he told me about you, and Blair… He told me how you two brought him in. He said if I knew about it, that if I knew you were going to do it, he’d make sure you and Blair would never see the light of day again. I didn't know though. But I couldn't let home find out that we were even talking, Sterling. It would have killed me if something were to happen to you.”

”So you stopped whatever we had, ” Sterling said softly as she nodded, setting the nearly empty cup down. 

”To protect you, protect us. To protect Blair.”

”So, why’d you punch him?” Sterling asked, wrapping her arm around April’s shoulders, lighting holding her just in case she wanted to move away.

”I was going through my phone at the kitchen table the day after the lock-in, I didn't hear him come in cause I had my headphones in. I was looking for something in my photos and found a photo of you and me from when we got the A-plus on Solomon’s Temple.”

Sterling licked her lips, feeling the buzz and simultaneous numbness of the memory of their kiss. She remembered the day vividly. She’d gotten Blair to take the photo of them that morning with their project before class.

They knew they were going to win.

They’d already seen Ellen eyeing it with excitement when they’d brought it in.

She remembered kissing April after getting the grade. 

”Oh, please tell me it wasn't the one where I was looking at you like we were getting married... Blair's words… I'd been crushing on you since the debate weekend and wasn't aware of how to handle my feelings."

”It was that one... I didn't even realise you were looking at me until I was looking at it properly. He walked in, saw my phone and threw it across the room, yelling at me. I didn't know what to do, I just stared at him while he yelled.”

Sterling gently rubbed her hand along April’s shoulder, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

”he was screaming about the way you were looking at me, how it was wrong, and-and-and…” April drew in a shaky breath as Sterling pulled her arm out from behind her, bringing it around to take ahold of April’s hand to stop it from clenching and digging the nails into her palm. She'd already seen the multiple scars across the shorter teens palms from doing the same thing over and over again. ”I just got so mad, he called you a d-dyke, a whore, filthy… So I punched him, my ring caught him on the cheekbone and left a nice gash, and before I could process what I’d done, he’d pushed me against the wall, one hand on my throat. He started yelling at me for defending you and slapped me, I grabbed the closest thing, which was sadly just a water bottle and hit him over the head with it. It was enough to get him to let me go, and before he could react, my mother came in because of his yelling. She saw the tail end of it, saw me holding my throat cause it was hurting so much, it was already red… She said she’d already called the cops and told him to leave… She hadn't, but she did as soon as he was gon. Before he left, I told him that I was gay. He looked so disgusted but thankfully left. We had undercover’s there for days before he finally came back and was thrown into jail for abuse, my mother came clean and said he’d been beating her in private for years.”

”Wow, that's… A lot to take in, are you okay?”

April shrugged, reaching for the tub Sterling didn't finish before scooping up the custard onto the spoon, taking it into her mouth.

”it’s nothing to write home about, is it?” she asked, looking at the tub, effectively changing the subject.

Sterling chuckled but shook her head. ”No, no it’s not.”

”So, why didn't you eat?”

Sterling sighed, leaning back against the pillows a little more.

” I wish I could say that's a loaded question, but it's more weird and complicated than anything else, to be honest.”

”So what happened?”

”The night of the lock-in, during the kidnapping, I fainted after I found out that Dana was my real mother and not Debbie. I don’t know how long I was out, but in my head, weeks had passed.”

”What do you mean?” April asked, leaning slightly against Sterling as she opened another custard cup, tilting her head back to hold the spoon up to Sterling’s lips and make sure she ate it- well, mostly just make sure she didn't make a mess with it due to their awkward angle.

Sterling leaned forward, her arm around April’s waist to keep the shorter teen still before she pulled away, swallowing the mouthful with a nod.

”I guess you could call it a dream… And if not, then that's what I'm calling it cause I don't think hallucination is the right word… But, I dreamt that everything was different. I dreamt that Blair and I stayed in a hotel for a while to get our heads around the news and that you had come out under different circumstances, your father beat the crap out of you. I came to see you every day in the hospital because by some miracle you’d driven yourself to my parents to see me, but I wasn't there...they found me and told me… We were practically inseparable after that.”

”That doesn't explain why you haven't eaten, Sterling, ” April said, attempting to set the empty cup inside the other after giving Sterling the last spoonful, but Sterling just held her closer, her other arm pulling the table closer so April wouldn't have to move away.

”Sh, I'm getting there, ” Sterling said as she pressed a kiss to the top of April’s head.

”After we got together, you and I planned to meet at Yogurtopia, for a date- not there, I was going to take you somewhere… I'd thought you'd stood me up or something about Blair took me to you, and we found out your father's mother was there and she was just as homophobic and controlling as he was….”

”Yeah, she is. Only my mother is nice and good about it. I think because I have a gay uncle that she regrets not being able to support because of my father.”

”So, Blair and I snuck you out through your bedroom window out of a rope of your bedding and you stayed with us at our house- my parents were supportive and loved having you there.”

”Yeah?”

”Yeah.”

”Nice, do you think they will truly like me if we were to ever start dating for real.”

”They want me happy, I'm sure they’d be fine if it was you making me happy.”

”So, eating?”

”Right, here's the positively weird part. I once had a painkiller addiction in this… reality?” Sterling frowned before both girls nodded at the word. ”Anyways, I was coming up on a rough time of year according to the family, I was shutting down, ignoring everyone, even kind of ignoring you… But it was my turn to cook dinner, so instead, you offered to cook, and you made the most delicious lasagna. My God, it was just… Mouthwatering. I asked my family about talking to you about it for why this time of year was so hard for me and they agreed that it was my choice to tell you so after dinner, I made some hot chocolates and you and Blair we're laughing when I came up to my room, and when I started to talk about the addiction, everything got fuzzy, and my vision blurred, and then I woke up back up at the trailer park in Blair’s lap.”

”Holy crap, that’s wild. So… Why haven't you been eating?”

”Cause everything I eat, it pulls the taste out of my mouth of the lasagne... I can't even eat fro-yo because we had a flavour of our own that you’d had some famous guy make and call The Stepril.”

”But you're eating now?”

”Because I'm with you, I'm okay, as long as I'm with you… You calm the raging pain inside of me, you stop my inner demons from wanting to tear free from the inside out.”

April turned a little, looking into Sterling’s eyes, noticing that since they’d started talking tonight, some of the light had started to come back into them. They'd started to brighten back up.

Bringing a hand up to cup Sterling’s cheek, April smiled softly, stroking a thumb lightly over the soft skin.

”I ate something, so if you feel comfortable enough, can you tell me why you hurt yourself? Please tell me it wasn't because of Blair and me?”

”I mean… Blair may have watered the little seed of self-hate that lives in my head, but no, it wasn't because of you two, Sterling. It’s not even the first time I've done it.”

Sterling’s eyes snapped open wider as she looked at April.

”What? When? Why?”

April sighed and shifted a little, leaning back against Sterling's front, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder. ”My father is an abusive drunk, Sterling. His mother is just abusive. I started cutting when I was thirteen. I never did it to my arms before now, I guess my thighs were just too numb and full… I couldn't be bothered to take my shirt off one day to use my hips or ribs like usual, so I just sliced my arms.”

”can I see?” Sterling asked softly.

April nodded, slowly pushing her sleeves up, her forearms were red, but mostly healed. There were a few deeper ones with surgical glue and a clear bandage over them so the nurses could make sure they were healing.

Sterling gently took April's hand, pulling her arm slightly closer so she could get a better look before kissing the edge of April's wrist. ”I’ll keep eating if you stop doing this. I know it will be hard for you, I know it won't be easy to stop… But call me or something whenever you feel the urge to do it, please? I've got you, April.”

April teared up as she looked at Sterling, leaning close, she pressed her lips to Sterling’s. ”And I’ve got you, ” she whispered against the blonde’s lips.

Sterling smiled softly, resting their foreheads together, her arms going around April’s waist after she shoved the table out of the way.

* * *

The girls spent the rest of the evening talking until April had to go back to her room for the night. One of the nurses had come around to check on Sterling and was shocked to see April was feeding Sterling the last scoop out of the final tub of custard.

”You got her to eat?” the nurse asked, eyes wide as she changed Sterling’s IV.

”Yeah, I did.”

”She’s an angel in disguise, didn’t you know?” Sterling said, smiling softly when April blushed lightly.

”Shut up, Sterl.”

”Shut up, Sterl, ” Sterling mocked lightly, causing April to roll her eyes but smile. ”See you tomorrow?” Sterling asked, keeping ahold of April’s hand so she didn't leave just yet.

April nodded, leaning over the edge of the bed, kissing Sterling’s cheek. ”Tomorrow. Tell Blair to bring yogurt, now you've got me wanting it.”

Sterling playfully forced out a sigh but nodded. ”You only want me for my yogurt connections.”

”Absolutely, and your ability to get me A-Plus.”

Sterling’s jaw dropped as April left the room, laughing.

”My, you two are certainly in good spirits. You know each other?” the nurse asked as she checked Sterling over.

”We go to school together, we uh… I guess dated? I don't know, it wasn't official…” Sterling shrugged. 

”How do you feel after eating?” the nurse asked, lifting a clipboard from the end of Sterling's bed.

”Weird, but fine. It was only something small…”

”Something small is better than nothing, ” the nurse said, clicking her pen before putting it in her pocket as she put the clipboard on the bed again.

Sterling snorted a laugh.

”What?”

”Sorry, dirty mind… I almost said ’I bet you say that to all the men’ but I shouldn't assume your sexuality, I'm sorry.”

The nurse laughed as she shook her head. ”Funny, no sorry necessary. I am into men and women, but it’s fine. Shall I put an order in for you to have breakfast?”

Sterling looked down at her hands, shrugging. ”I-I dunno, can I wait till April comes by? I feel better with her near me.”

”Sure, but you're aware once you leave you can't have her for every meal, right?”

Sterling nodded. ”Just till I get back on track of eating properly. I promise, ” Sterling said, looking up at the nurse.

”Okay, I'll leave a note for April to come by once she’s eaten in the morning.”

”thank you, ma'am.”

* * *

When Sterling woke two days later, she felt rested for the first time since before the lock-in. Blair stopped by before school with a change of clothes for her. Sterling asked her about bringing yogurt back for April if she could, and with permission from the staff, Sterling was allowed her laptop so she could catch up on schoolwork. 

Not that she wanted her laptop for that, she wanted to binge crappy shows and make April laugh.

After Blair had left to get herself to school, Sterling showered and changed before she stared at herself in the mirror, her hair was a matted mess and she was disgusted inversely for letting it get this way.

Before April brought sunshine back into her life, Sterling had stopped caring about herself and only showered out of pure necessity. Meaning- she couldn't handle the fact that her body odour was as bad as it was after four days of no showering.

She was about to try and see if she could do something, anything, with her hair, but there was a knock on the other side of the door.

”Sterl… Uh, you’ve got the nurse a little worried here, you okay?”

Sterling pulled the bathroom door open quickly, looking at April and her nurse in shock. ”Yes, I'm okay. I promise. I just finished getting dressed, I’m just moving a little slow this morning, I'm sorry.”

”Miss Wesley, you’ve gone over the allotted time limit for a private shower, we’re going to have to check your body.”

”For what?” Sterling asked confused, tilting her head.

April looked down. ”Sterl, they think you hurt yourself… Or might have.”

”Oh, God no. I swear, I promise… I didn’t. I just don't know what to do with my hair, it’s so bad, ” Sterling said as the nurse moved closer to her. 

”Wait!” April stood between the nurse and Sterling. ”She trusts me, what if I check her?”

Sterling’s nurse looked to Nadia, April’s nurse, who nodded. ”They're fine, she got Sterling to eat. Trust them.”

Sterling looked like she was on the verge of a panic attack either way.

”Sterling?”

”I-I didn’t do that! Why would I do that? I asked you not to do that, April… Why would I start? Don't you believe me?” Sterling asked, her voice ragged as her breathing got shallower.

”Honey, ” April said softly, cupping Sterling’s cheeks, looking into her eyes. It sent a small wave of calm through the blonde. ”Of course I believe and trust you, wholly. But they need to do this, okay? It’s their job.”

”You’ll stay?”

April looked to Sterling’s nurse and her own. Both gave a nod and closed the curtains around the bed to give them privacy.

Sterling nodded as she swallowed and April grabbed the hem of Sterling’s hoodie, lifting it over the blonde’s head. She was shocked to see that Sterling had nothing on under it, but made no noise to show it. ”Turn around, Sterl, they need to check your back too, ” April murmured, gently touching Sterling's arm to turn her.

Sterling grabbed the hoodie, holding it to her chest. 

”Pants, ” the blonde’s nurse said. Sterling pulled her hoodie on quickly and sucked in a deep breath, pushing her sweatpants down to her ankles, glad that Blair had brought her in more covering underwear than just see-through panties like last time.

”Turn honey, ” April said, a hand on Sterling’s arm.

Sterling turned and when she did, her eyes connected with April's. ”See, she’s fine!” April snapped, glaring at Sterling’s nurse as she bent down, pulling Sterling’s pants up for her, as she noticed just how much Sterling was shaking.

”You wanted to do your hair, honey?” April asked, making Sterling nod slowly as she adjusted the waistband of her pants so they were sitting comfortably once her nurse had left with a huff, pushing the privacy curtains open.

”Yeah, but… I don't know what to do with it, it’s so bad.”

Nodding, April smiled and led Sterling over to the bed. ”You don't have the IV anymore?”

”I’m hydrated enough now, and you've got me eating. So I don’t need it.”

”I’m proud of you, Sterling, ” April said, her smile beaming as she sat with Sterling, holding her hands, her thumb lightly stroking over the bandaid where the IV had been pulled from.

”Be proud of you, it’s because of you.”

”Partly, yes… But honey, I can only push lightly you're the one that pulled the rest of the way. You're the one that took it and kept running. You need to be proud of yourself too. Because you did this also. Not just me.”

Nodding, Sterling smiled, turning her other hand over, catching April’s hand in it, holding it gently.

”What if I go down to my room and grab my brush and detangling spray so we can do your hair?” April asked, watching Sterling for any visible discomfort. She wanted to ask about her reaction to the nurse who wanted her to undress, but now wasn't the time for that.

”O-Okay, yeah… Then, when you come back… Blair got me my laptop... We could watch something while you do my hair?”

”Sounds amazing, what would you like to watch?”

”Something funny?”

”Funny it is, have you got something in mind?” April asked as she stood.

Sterling shook her head. 

”Well, think about it. I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”

”Okay… What if I can't think of anything?”

”We could ask someone for a recommendation.”

”Nadia?” Sterling looked over at April’s nurse.

”Yeah, kid?”

”Do you know any funny shows?”

”What kind of funny? Stupid funny or…”

”Stupid funny is fine, right, April?”

April nodded.

”Y’all ever hear of a show called Letterkenny?” Nadia asked

Both teens shook their heads.

”It’s funny. It’s stupid. It’s Canadian. And it’s got that pretty one from that new demon-hunting show in it… Wynonna something…”

”Earp?” Sterling asked.

”Yeah, she's not a huge character in it, but she’s funny. A good laugh.”

”Letterkenny?” Sterling asked, looking to April.

”Sounds good, I'll be right back, okay?”

Sterling nodded. ”Hey, think… If you see a nurse or something on the way, you could send them in so I could order breakfast? I just… Wanted to eat with you again... To make sure that I ate.”

April smiled at the blonde, nodding as she stepped out of the room, Nadia following after her.

* * *

Finishing off the third episode of Letterkenny, both girls were laughing a lot.

April had brushed out half of Sterling’s hair. There was a wince every so often from the blonde, making April stop her task, press a kiss to Sterling's head where she was just brushing, and then she continued, applying more detangling spray as she went.

The sound of a throat clearing made Sterling pause the beginning of the next episode, looking up to see hers and April’s mother standing in the doorway.

”M-Mum, ” April said, slowly standing up. ”What’re you doing here?”

”I just thought I’d check-in and see if you needed anything at all, see if we could talk. But it looks like you're busy here.”

Sterling swallowed, looking at her Debbie nervously.

”No IV?”

”No ma'am, I'm hydrated enough now, and slowly getting back to eating normally again… Thanks to April.”

Debbie nodded stiffly. ”Well, that is good to hear. April, dear. How are you?”

”I’m well, Mrs Wesley, and you?”

”Quite well.”

”I-I’ll uh...” April stood, causing Sterling to nod and close her laptop. ”Yeah, see you later?”

April nodded, taking her mother by the elbow after grabbing her brush and spray, leaving the room.

Once they were out of earshot, Debbie looked to Sterling. ”You like her?”

”I-I do, mama, ” Sterling said softly.

”Speak up, Sterling.”

”I do, ma'am. Yes.” Sterling nodded, lifting her eyes to meet Debbie’s.

”Good… Good… She’s a good girl, the poor thing’s been through a lot, but she’s a good girl. I don't know why you two ever stopped being friends. You two always had fake weddings and we're laying together. Will she be around more?” 

Sterling blinked, trying to process the way her mother changed so quickly.

Sterling eyed Debbie carefully, taking in the way she was so put together. She looked her over, all the way down to the fresh manicure. Her heart didn't settle down though. Something felt off, the was Sterling’s stomach was rolling uneasily made her slide further back on the bed, leaning against the pillows.

”How's Blair doing? Is she still home with the flu?” Sterling asked.

”Sterling?”

”Yeah?”

”Are you trying to find out if I’m Dana?”

Sterling shrugged.

”she’s locked up, sweetheart. I promise. Would you like to go elsewhere where there are more people?”

Sterling nodded quickly and put her laptop in the drawer beside her bed, standing up. 

”Where too?”

Sterling made her way down the hall, she wasn't sure where she was going, she just followed her heart.

”Where are you going, Sterl?” April asked, popping her head out of her room as they passed it.

”I dunno, what's this way?”

”Group hall, courtyard, family area.”

”Well, we're heading that way. Want to join?”

There was something in Sterling's eyes, a lilt of hopefulness, pleading, and something else April couldn't quite place, but she nodded. ”Sure, mum?”

April's mother nodded, following the two teenagers.

”You okay?” April whispered to Sterling. 

”I dunno, just a vibe,” Sterling whispered back.

April’s hand found Sterling's after they kept ’accidentally’ bumping together with how close the girls were walking and April pulled Sterling to a stop. ”It’s a nice day out, why don't we get some fresh air?” she asked.

Sterling nodded, glancing back at the older women. ”Is that okay?”

”Yes, sweetheart. Whatever you want.”

April pushed the door open and saw that there were two tables close enough together that if Sterling needed her she could get to her sooner.

”I’m going to talk to my mother at this table, okay?” April asked, gesturing to the one closest to the sunshine. ”If you need me, just get me. I've got you, Sterl.”

Nodding, Sterling hesitantly let April’s hand go and looked towards Debbie, swallowing nervously as she nodded towards the other table.

”You’re close with her, closer than I thought you would be after years of hating each other, ” Debbie said as she took a seat across from Sterling, giving her the space she wanted.

”Yeah, well… Partly my fault she’s in here, ” Sterling said, shrugging.

”How so, sweetheart?”

”It’s not my story to tell…”

”No, you're right. I'm sorry, should I not have come alone? Would that make it easier on you, Sterling?” Debbie asked, her eyes softening as she looked at her daughter. 

”I-I don’t know, mum… I just, it was kind of just shocked to see you I guess. I'm sorry.”

”Don’t apologize, Sterling. You do not need to, I shouldn't have kept her a secret. I should have just told you and your sister about Dana. Maybe we could have prevented it somehow.”

”How? I knew almost instantly that she wasn't you. The smokes, the clothes, the shitty-”

”language, Sterling…”

Sterling smiled. ”the fact she swore a few times, and I said we had to pick up Queso… That was the nail in the coffin. I asked her if I could stop to pee, grabbed some sour candies with Blair's and my joint card- I knew it would alert her… I knew you would come to save me, mum.”

”Well, how about from now on, I do or say something when I come to visit you alone so that you know it's me?” Debbie offered and Sterling nodded.

”Okay, yeah. Like what?”

”Well, ” Debbie looked around, thinking for a moment before she dug through her bag and pulled out something without looking. They both stared at the object, a red pen. ”Red. I could wear something red? Talk about something red? Bring something red… Whenever I come alone, how about that?”

Sterling mulled it over, reaching for the pen, Debbie handed it over without a thought and Sterling grabbed her mother's hand, clicking the pen so it’s nib was out.

She drew a small heart on the back of her mother's hand. ”Hey, the pen’s actually red, look at that, ” Sterling said with a pleased laugh as she looked at the red stencil she’d put above her mother's thumb on the back of her hand.

”Well, goes to show how long I've had that in the bag. I didn't even know I owned a red pen.”

Chuckling, Sterling nodded, drawing a small heart in the same spot on her hand. ”Mum?” she asked, handing the pen back.

”Yes, sweetheart?”

”I love you, more than red, ” Sterling said, smiling softly as Debbie’s face softened once again, a smile going over the older blondes lips.

Taking Sterling's hand, Debbie ran her thumb over her knuckle. ”I love you too sweetheart, more than red, ” she said, nodding at the look Sterling gave her. She assumed that’s what they would be saying from now on.

* * *

When the lunch cart came around, Sterling and April we're back in the blonde’s room, watching Letterkenny while April worked on finishing off brushing Sterling’s hair.

”Lunch?” the worker asked, looking at the two of them.

April nodded, gesturing to the table.

”You?” the worker looked at Sterling.

”What is it?” Sterling asked, glancing at April’s tray.

”There's a choice of chicken, soup, or roast meat and vegetables.”

”Can I please have the soup?” Sterling asked.

Nodding, the worker brought in a tray, balancing it on the table beside April’s.

”I can get another table for you?”

”No, it’s okay. I ordered toast and fruit ahead of time, ” April said, sliding out from behind Sterling, much to the blondes annoyance.

April made quick work of adjusting the trays, putting her toast on the edge of Sterling’s tray and the apple before sliding her now empty tray beneath Sterling’s. ”Problem solved, thank you.”

Nodding, the worker left with a smile while April climbed back up behind Sterling, sitting on the pillows to see over and around the blonde as she continued to brush Sterling's hair.

”Eat, please,” April said.

”You too?”

”I will, but you start. I’m almost done brushing your hair.”

”Really?” Sterling brought a hand up, feeling with disbelief the little amount of matted hair there was left. ”You're so amazing, you know that?” she asked, stroking April’s legs as the shorter teen situated them back on either side of Sterling’s body.

”Yeah, I know, ” April smirked, causing Sterling to turn her head and look back at her. ”Hi, ” she said softly, a little startled by how close their faces were.

”Hi, ” Sterling murmured, leaning a little to the side, tilting her head more to press a kiss to April’s cheek. ”You're really are amazing. Thank you for this, if I were you I would probably hate me even more for the way I treated you.”

April gestures Sterling to sit normally again, when she did, April started to rub her back. ”I don't think I could ever hate you, Sterling. I was mad, yes. But I never hated you. I think I always loved you, right from the start.”

Sterling smiled, leaning back against April, resting her head on her shoulder. ”Mum thought we were always supposed to be together.”

”Crazy, but maybe she's right?”

”Maybe, ” Sterling said softly, pulling the table closer. ”This soup better be good. Nothing worse than a bad soup.”

”You sure about that? I mean… Craving a food and then getting it and it turning out horrible is pretty bad.”

”Mm, you're right. As always. So smart.”

April reached around her, picking up the apple, she took a bite before setting it back on the tray as she chewed and continued to brush Sterling’s hair.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freedom never tasted so good, neither did shooting your crush’s sister.

** As far as I’m aware, there’s no more trigger warnings, but if I do miss one- please let me know. **

* * *

“Are you sure?” April asked, looking at Sterling nervously.

“I’m fine with it if you are. It’s only one more day, right?”

“But aren’t you ready to go home to your family?”

“But why would I leave you in here alone?”

“I’ll be going home tomorrow. I wouldn't be alone long,” April said, stroking her fingers through Sterling’s hair as the blonde laid her head on the shorter teens lap.

“I know, it’s crazy. We’ve spent two whole weeks here with each other daily. It’s going to suck without you.”

“Yeah, I like spending time with you. I like that we get to just be us.”

“I like it too,” Sterling said, looking up at her, smiling sadly. “I don’t want to go back to being without you, April. I like it being us. Can we go back to being friends in public, please?”

“I wasn’t going to change anything, Sterl. I want to be friends in public too.”

“Yeah?”

April nodded, smiling as she rested her head on the wall. “Yeah. It’s good. Calming. Having you around again.” She went back to enjoying the warm sunshine as Sterling went back to reading her book out loud to April. 

They were the only ones in the courtyard this late in the evening, everyone else in the ward was inside watching the movie the nurses were showing. 

One Sterling had seen a million times and April had absolutely no interest in. 

Sparkling vampires? No thank you. 

* * *

The next day, Sterling was all packed and ready to go, sitting on the edge of her bed, swinging her legs as she looked out the window. She saw Blair’s car pulling into the parking lot and smiled softly, ready to go home to her own bed. She’d miss spending all her time with April, they’d grown a lot closer over the past two weeks, but damn, she missed her bed, her shower, Chloe, her music.

A knock on the door made her jump a little, she turned, smiling when she saw April. ”Hi.”

”Hey, all packed and ready to go I see, ” April said. 

Sterling nodded, moving away from the window. ”yeah, you?”

April shrugged as she nodded. ”Yeah.”

”What’s wrong?” Sterling asked, gently taking April's hands into her own. 

”My mother got caught up with some errands, she won't be able to pick me up till later.”

”Blair and I could take you home?”

”Oh, I don't know, Sterl, I don't want to interrupt your family time any more than I already have.”

”You won't be, I'm offering. Besides, you don't want to stay here longer than you have to, right?”

April shook her head. ”I really don't, no.” 

”Then it’s settled, ” the girls flinched at the sound of another voice. ”You can come back with us and we can either drop you off or your mum can pick you up from our place.”

”See, even Blair agrees, ” Sterling said, nodding towards her sister.

”I-I don't have my keys or anything, ” April said.

”so, you can come hang with us.”

”You're sure?” April asked, looking between the sisters.

They both nodded.

* * *

In the car, Sterling offered April the front seat, but the shorter teen refused, so they both sat in the back out of protest.

”Sterl, I need to pick up my pay from Bowser, do you mind if I drop-in there on our way?”

Sterling looked to April. ”It’s fine, ” April said, shrugging.

”Catch many skips?” Sterling asked,

”not really, just a few, but Bowser messaged me as I was pulling in to come and get you that he’d gotten paid for them all, so…”

”Fair enough.”

* * *

When Blair parked the car out the front of Yogurtopia, the three teens got out and made their way into the store.

”We’re closed, can't you read?” Bowser called out from his office.

”Uh, no… you don't pay me enough to read,I just do what you tell me to, ” Blair shot back playfully.

”Ha, like you actually listen to him, ” Sterling said, snorting a laugh.

Bowser came out of his office, smiling when he saw Sterling standing with Blair. ”Sterling, you're back!”

”Yeah, hi, ” she said, hugging him. ”Can April and I get some yogurt while you and Blair talk?”

”Of course, have at it. You know where everything is, ” he said, smiling at April before heading back out to his office, Blair following and shutting the door.

”You hungry?” Sterling asked, moving to wash her hands in the bathroom, her foot propping the door open so she could keep talking to April.

”A little, what’re you thinking?”

”Can I surprise you?” Sterling asked as she dried her hands on some paper-towel and stepped up to the counter, grabbing out two cups.

”Okay, sure, ” April said, a smile on her face as she moved to take a seat.

Sterling scooped some flavours into the cups and added the topping.

”that's… More than one flavour?” April said, watching as Sterling moved about the counter with ease.

”Yeah, three. Is that okay?”

”So long as they taste good together, I don't mind.”

”Do you trust me?” Sterling asked, raising a challenging eyebrow.

April nodded, biting her lip. ”I do, Sterling.”

Licking her lips, Sterling looked back down, topping her yogurt off with the crushed Oreos and grabbed two spoons, making her way over to April, holding a yogurt cup out to her.

”Do I get to know the flavours?”

”Sure, cookies and creme, red velvet, and French vanilla, topped with crushed Oreos.”

April eyed the combination weirdly before she ran her spoon through it, trying to get a sample of all three flavours at once.

Sterling watched with her, smiling as April’s eyes lit up at the trio of flavours, the shorter teen smiling as she swallowed. ”okay, that's delicious.”

”See? I'm a pro at this!”

”That you are, Sterl, ” April said, scooping up some more before Sterling started to eat her own, ducking her head as her cheeks tinted slightly with a blush.

* * *

Sitting on Sterling's bed while the blonde showered, April looked at the small stack of books piled beside the blonde's bed, waiting for Blair to come back with drinks.

It didn't take long before the brunette came into her sister's room, bottles of water tucked in an arm, phone in her other hand. ”Hey, so, I let your mum know you're here, ” Blair said, setting her phone down before handing water to April.

”Oh, thanks. I didn't even think of that.”

”It’s fine, she and I talk all the time.”

”You do?” April asked, raising an eyebrow confused.

”Uh, yeah… I- yeah… Anyways, can I get you anything else?”

April shook her head, moving to sit back against the wall as the bathroom door opened and Sterling came into her room dressed in some shorts and a tank-top, sighing happily as she tied her hair up.

”God, it feels so good to shave, ” Sterling said.

”Huh?” Blair asked. ”Oh, yeah… I forgot you couldn't do that there. Feel better?”

”absolutely. April, we have spare razors and stuff, would you like to shower and relax? We could watch a movie?”

”speak for yourself, I'm going to play COD and make some nachos, ” Blair said.

”COD? You any good?” April asked.

”She’s amazing, her score is the highest on the leaderboards, ” Sterling said.

”well, it was, someone came online a few months ago and wiped the floor with me, ” Blair huffed, ”I almost got my score back while you were away, I think… I haven't checked it today.”

“We should play sometime, you could teach me,” April said, looking to Blair, leaning against Sterling as the blonde sat on the bed.

To Sterling, it was almost like nothing had changed, like they were back in her other reality. They way Blair and April talked to each other, so friendly, so carefree.

Sterling smiled as she felt April rest her head on Sterling’s shoulder.

She turned her head slightly, pressing a kiss to the top of April’s head.

“So, are you two dating, or…?” Blair tilted her head, looking at them from her spot on the other end of the bed.

“What? No, we’re not dating, why?” April asked before she lifted her head and looked up at Sterling. “Wait, are we dating?”

“Hm? No? I didn’t think we were, I mean… we didn’t start anything in there, we just got friendly, right?” Sterling asked, and April nodded.

“Yeah, friends. That’s what we are.”

“For now, or for good?” Blair asked, tilting her head.

“Christ, Blair… what, do you like April or something?”

“What? No… I mean, she’s cool, but I don’t  𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 her… I just wanted to know if I had to start covering for you two or something.”

“Oh, no. Just friends,” April said, making Sterling nod.

“Okay, cool… anyways, I’m going to go play my game and make some food, if you two wanna come hang out that's fine with me, just let me know if I need to give a warning if mum and dad come home or something.”

Sterling rolled her eyes, pulling a pillow from behind her back, tossing it at her sister as Blair jumped up and ran out of the room laughing as Sterling’s pillow smacked against the wall and bumped the door, making it shut itself halfway with the force.

“Hey, were you being serious?” April asked.

“About what?”

“Me, being able to shower here.”

“Oh, yeah, of course, you can borrow clothes, and take as long as you need to, there’s no need to rush.”

“O-Okay, if you’re sure it’s fine?”

“Yeah, April. It’s perfectly fine. Here, why don’t you go to my closet and find something you’ll feel comfortable wearing and I’ll get a clean towel and razor ready and you can use any of the shampoo’s and stuff that you’d like to.”

They both reluctantly pulled away from each other and got off the bed, Sterling heading to the bathroom, April to Sterling closet.

* * *

Sterling played on her phone while she waited for April to come back out of the bathroom, and when she did, half an hour later, smelling like Sterling’s hair products and Blair’s body wash, in one of Sterling’s hoodies that were a size too big on Sterling as is, so now three to four sizes too big on April, and a pair of shorts that were once sweatpants that Sterling had cut up, wanting something comfortable to wear in the warmer months with deep pockets… Sterling’s breath caught in her throat at the sigh of the shorter teen, looking so cosy and refreshed.

“What would you like me to do with the towel?” April asked, the towel in question hanging over her arm.

“Oh, here,” Sterling said as she got up taking the towel from April, tossing it up over the closet door so it could dry. “what would you like to do? Movie? Annoy Blair?”

“It’s actually been quite a while since I played the game she said she was going to play.”

“So, you want to go kick her ass?”

“please?” April’s face softened to a slightly pleading look and Sterling nodded, grinning. 

“Let’s go then.”

They walked down the stairs together, April plopping down beside Blair and Sterling sat beside her.

“Want to play?” Blair asked, pausing the game.

“Sure,” April said, and Blair grabbed the other controller, handing it to April.

“You ever played?” Blair asked.

“Once or twice, I have an Xbox account.”

“Oh, sweet, sign yours in… I’m just going to grab another drink.”

April set her account up onto Blair’s Xbox and set the game up once more as Blair came back with some drinks for the three of them.

“Ready?” Blair asked, setting the drinks down on the coffee table as she leaned back on the couch, propping her feet up on the table. 

“One second,” April stood, looking at Sterling. “Swap spots, I want to lean against the arm of the sofa.”

Sterling moved without a second thought and as April sat, turning her back slightly to lean against the arm of the couch, the shorter teen laid her legs over Sterling’s lap and Sterling rested her hand on April’s ankles to keep her from bumping Blair accidentally.

Blair grabbed the controller she’d been using and shifted a little before relaxing, waiting for the game to start.

“Wait,” she said, noticing something unusual.

“What?” Sterling asked, glancing at her sister.

“The hell?” Blair mumbled, her character crouching behind a train. “you’re the one with the highest score?” She asked, leaning forward, looking at April. “You’re Shooter two-two-three?”

April shrugged and smiled, not even looking at the screen as she pressed a button on the controller making Blair’s character blow up. 

“Oh, uh-uh, not in my house,” Blair said, leaning her elbows on her knees as she respawned and ran around the map looking for April’s character. “You’re not winning today.” 

“Oh, god,” Sterling said, shaking her head. “What did you do, April?”

“I’m just playing the game, honey. It’s not my fault Blair is so bad at it,” April said, smirking as Blair got shot. 

Sterling tried to stop the way her heart and stomach fluttered as April called her  honey.

The brunette groaned in frustration, smashing the keys to try and make it respawn faster.

Back in the game, Blair went to the weapons cache and brought some grenades and proximity mines before placing them around that area of the map in hopes that April would need more of the items soon enough.

She didn’t, April’s character was laying on a train, sniper rifle pointed at Blair’s head. She looked at the shock on Sterling face as she pulled the trigger.

* * *

The game was close, April had twenty-four kills while Blair had twenty-three. If April killed her again, she’d win.

Sterling’s hand on April’s leg caused a fatal distraction for April as Sterling mindlessly started stroking the shorter teens thigh while she played on her phone, having given up watching the game due to how quick the first four rounds were. They were tied two-for-two and this was the decider round for them.

Sterling’s pinky slipped under the edge of the shorts April was wearing, causing April to gasp and drop the controller just as Blair ran up and stabbed her.

The controller dropped onto Sterling’s hand, making her pull it away quickly in shock as she looked to April. “You okay?”

April nodded, swallowing and biting her lip as she picked the controller back up and looked back to the tv.

“Ha, next kill wins,” Blair said, a smile on her face that quickly faded as April shot her from a rooftop.

“Damn, savage, April,” Sterling said, glancing at the screen as it replayed the killcam.

* * *

** I apologise for updating so late in the day. But it’s still Wednesday here, so technically I’m not  that late!  **

** I’ve gone over this a few times and can’t find any more errors but there’s still probably some.  **

** I hope y’all enjoyed the girls being together cause I like when Blair’s friendly with April.  **

** Comment and let me know how you liked it? I really like hearing your thoughts on it.  **


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorrryyyy I know I’m a little late, I slept in and then had to go do some adulting. 
> 
> Also, a little short sorry for that too.
> 
> Motivate me into wanting to continue posting by leaving this a comment.

Editing? What’s that?

TW: Slight panic attack /

oblivious gay Blair 

* * *

April stayed a while longer before her mother came to pick her up, and once she’d left, Sterling started to retreat again, into her own mind.

“Hey, you good?” Blair asked, nudging Sterling lightly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I was just thinking about things.”

“April related things?”

Sterling nodded, frowning slightly.

“Yeah, I just… I don’t know, she’s just- she wants to be friends in public, but, it’s also hard, Blair.”

“Maybe speak to her about it? I know you still love her, Sterling. You can’t exactly hide it, you look at it like she’s the sunshine that brightens your day.”

“She is… but I also don’t want us to go back to pretending to hate each other.”

“I’m sure she won’t let that happen, she likes you too. Just let her do things in her own time.”

Nodding, Sterling sighed and stood grabbed the glasses they were drinking out of, taking them to the kitchen to clean them. 

* * *

Sterling was just climbing into bed when she heard her phone buzz from its spot on charge. She adjusted herself beneath the blankets and grabbed the device, smiling when she saw a message from April.

“𝐻𝑒𝑦, ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑜𝑜𝑛? 𝐷𝑖𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑎𝑡?”

Sterling couldn’t help but smile at her crushes concern

“𝑌𝑒𝑎ℎ, 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑘𝑓𝑐… 𝐼𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢?”

“𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑠𝑜, 𝐼 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜𝑜.”

Sterling’s smile widened and she laid down, holding the phone above her as she thought about how to reply.

“ _What’re you doing?”_

_“Just got into bed, you?”_

_“Same, feels so weird to be home. But it’s nice.”_

_“I know what you mean, Sterl… You going to school on Monday?”_

_“Yeah, you?”_

_“Yes.”_

_“What’re you doing tomorrow?”_

_“Mum wants to spend time together, what about you?”_

_“Blair and I are going shopping, apparently I need a new wardrobe haha.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Not gay enough she said.”_

_“Huh… I think your clothes suit you, Sterl.”_

_“ I think they suit you… you looked so cosy in my clothes.”_

_“Oh, yeah, sorry. You’re not getting this hoodie back. It’s mine now. So comfy.”_

_“Yeah? Okay, fair enough… you can have it.”_

_“Wait, really? I was joking… kinda.”_

_“Yeah, April… I don’t mind. Hey, I’m going to try and sleep, talk to you tomorrow?”_

_“Tomorrow, (: night Sterl, sleep well xx”_

_“Night, April! Xx_ ”

Sterling’s heart kept skipping as she read and reread April’s final message. The two small x’s on her screen caused her head to spin lightly and her stomach to tingle. She knew the feeling, the same tingle she felt whenever she saw April’s smile.

She set her phone back on the bedside table and sighed happily, snuggling deeper into the bed, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders.

“You can do this, Sterling… you can be her friend and not let your feelings for her get in the way. You’ve got this,” Sterling said to herself as she stared at the ceiling.

* * *

The weekend passed by quicker than Sterling could handle, as she got into her uniform on Monday morning after her shower, she realised her hands were shaking as she was trying to do the buttons up.

“Hey,” there was a light knock on her door, and she turned to see Blair leaning against the frame of the bathroom doorway. “You good?”

Sterling shook her head. “What if they find out the reason I was away? You know how fast rumours spread at our school, Blair.”

“I’ll be there with you, okay? No matter what. The only class we don’t have together is forensics, Sterl and you don’t have that till tomorrow. It’ll be okay. We can sit together all day, okay?”

Sterling nodded slowly, her hands starting to ease on their shaking. 

“Okay, yeah, sure.”

They made their way downstairs, bidding a good morning to their parents as they got their breakfast ready and sat at the table.

“Morning, sweetheart,” Debbie said, resting a light hand on Sterling’s shoulder. “Ready for your first day back?”

Sterling swallowed the bite of her food, almost choking on it as she hadn’t chewed it at all and nodded. 

Debbie leaned down, whispering into Sterling’s ear. “I love you, Sterling. More than red, okay?”

Sterling let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding and smiled up at her mother. “I love you too, mum. And yes, I am ready… sort of. Just nervous, first day jitters.”

“Well, you’ve got this. And if you need anything, anything at all, just call or text, okay? I’ll have my phone in my hand all day just in case you need me.”

Nodding, Sterling went back to eating her cereal as she listened to Blair talk about an assignment she had due that day. 

“And Hannah was actually super helpful with all the research, like… that girl is smart smart, can you believe that? April and Ezekiel don’t give her enough credit at all. She did really well with her section of the project, I mean, I only had to fix a few grammatical errors on it. But she did everything herself.”

“Yeah, I worked with her once for an assignment a few years back,” Sterling said as she scraped the last of her frosted flakes onto her spoon. “She’s really good.”

She ate the mouthful and drank the remainder of the milk in her bowl before standing, taking her bowl and spoon to the sink to rinse them out.

“Are you ready already?” Blair asked around a bite of her toast.

Sterling looked to her sister, raising an eyebrow. “What?”

Blair rolled her eyes and chewed quickly before swallowing her food exaggeratingly. “Are you ready to go already?”

“Yeah, but don’t rush. We still have time, it’s only just after seven. And I have to make my lunch.”

“It’s fine, go make sure your bag is ready to go. I made our lunches last night.”

“You did?”

Blair shrugged, finishing off her slice of toast as she stood, making her way to the kitchen to rinse her plate off. “Yeah, I was bored after you went to sleep so early.”

“Sorry, I was just tired and nervous.”

“Hey, don’t be sorry, I understand, Sterl… okay? Go make sure your bag is packed.”

Sterling made her way back up the stairs, collecting her bag from the floor by her desk, digging through it for her paper copy of her time table. She pulled her phone out and took a quick photo of it before looking down at it to see that she had all the right paperwork in her binder.

* * *

As the girls made their way down the hall to their home room, Sterling’s hand gripped the strap of her bag tightly, feeling the way her nerves built back up and filled her body, causing every muscle to tense and make her hands shake all over again.

“Oh, Sterling, you’re back,” the blonde stopped, forcing a smile as she came face to face with Ellen, nodding. “Good to see you again, you were in my prayers, darling. I’ll talk to you later, okay? Go on, get moving, love you!” Ellen called, already walking away.

Sterling exhaled, feeling her clenched jaw tighten even more at the looks everyone was giving her. The whispers she could see as people hid their mouths behind a book or their hand and kept looking over at her.

“Sterl, breathe,” Blair said, gently guiding Sterling into the classroom they needed to be in for roll call.

They sat in the back of the room, and as Sterling tried to pull her breathing back to its normal state, other people started to walk into the room.

“Hi, can I sit here?” April asked, causing the sisters to look up and then at the empty seat beside Sterling.

Sterling nodded slowly and inhaled deeply, leaning against Blair. 

“Are you okay?” April asked softly, looking at Sterling concerned.

“Just a big morning,” Blair said, rubbing Sterling’s back.

April understood, she’d been getting stares too, noticing the whispers, the way as soon as she got to school this morning people were looking her way.

She rested a hand on Sterling’s arm and smiled softly. “It’s okay, Sterl. I’m here with you too, okay? I’ve got you.”

Sterling actually smiled as she looked to April and sat up straighter. “Just, think of something else, okay? A happy place.”

Sterling swallowed, her mind drifting a little as the teacher came into the room.

She thought of April, April was her happy place. She remembered the arcade, she remembered building solomon's temple with her, making her smile as they talked about cleaving and how good April looked as she cut the wood.

Sterling’s heart rate slowed down to normal, her breathing too. She thought about kissing April in the car as they were supposed to be planning the lock-in’s playlist.

How April said she wanted to ravage her.

Sterling was pulled from her wandering thoughts as her name was called. “H-ere,” she said, her voice crackling.

The teacher looked up in shock, about to automatically mark Sterling as absent as she had been doing for almost a month now.

“Good to have you both back,” the teacher said, smiling at April and Sterling before continuing to mark the list.

“Right, heads down, silent prayer,” the teacher said, setting her roll book down on the desk as she took her seat.

As the bell chimed a few minutes later, the three teens stood and Sterling froze when she saw Ezekiel and Hannah looking over at them before he pushed Hannah closer.

“H-Hi Sterling, April,” Hannah barely looked at them, her attention solely on Blair, nerves creeping into her words. “hi, Blair.”

“Hey, Hannah… ready for the presentation today?” Blair asked and Hannah nodded before she took a shaky breath and glanced at Ezekiel who make a ‘go for it’ gesture.

“Blair… I was wondering, d-do you have a boyfriend… or girlfriend? No judgement, just curious.”

Blair blinked at the question, pulling her bag up onto her shoulder. She hadn’t really cared for anyone or processed the idea of moving on from Miles having been too caught up with everything happening with Sterling.

“Why? So we can go get ice cream together, and listen to music, and travel around town blasting said music only to have it end in slammed doors, heartbreak and loneliness? Sure, where do I sign up?”

Sterling smacked Blair upside the back of her head.

“Hannah, are you trying to ask Blair out… on a date?” Sterling asked softly.

Hannah, eyes wide by Blair’s rant, nodded slowly and looked down.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry, Hannah. I just, had a rough breakup a while ago… can I make it up to you by taking you out?” Blair asked, her voice softening as she hesitantly reached out to rest a hand on Hannah’s.

Hannah looked up, nodding quickly. “Y-Yeah, it’s a date.” Her smile beamed as she looked down at Blair’s hand on hers.

“Do you like yogurt?”

“I do, yes.”

“Cool, how about after school we meet at Yogurtopia? The one out across from the mall.”

Hannah smiled, nodding. “Okay, yeah. I’ll see you then.”

Blair watched her go before she looked at Sterling. “Why didn’t you shut me up? And you-“ she looked to April who was laughing behind her hand. “It’s not funny.”

“I mean…” April smirked, shrugging. “It kinda is.”

“Wait, Blair… you just landed a date with the second cutest girl in this school… you’re aware of that, right?” Sterling raised an eyebrow. 

Blair froze, her eyes widening. 

“Wait, what do you mean second cutest? Hannah’s totally the cutest!”

“Agree to disagree.”

“No, who?” Blair asked, following out after Sterling as she stayed silent.

Sterling looked over at April who was looking down at her phone as she walked slightly beside them.

“Oh.” Blair caught on. “You got it bad.”

“Yeah, but I’m fine. I like it.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slow... slow is good.

“Do you want yogurt?” Sterling asked, nervously tying her hair up in a messy bun as she looked at April who was washing her hands.

“You want to crash their date?” April asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What? No, I just meant… there’s one on peachtree, you and I could go there and get something and then just go do whatever.”

“Whatever? So you don’t really have plans other than asking me for yogurt?”

“Well, I mean… it’s not like I was asking you on a date, I just wanted to hang with you. This weekend sucked, and I missed you. I just want to be around you, is that weird?” Sterling asked as she leaned against the wall while she watched April fix her hair.

A varying of emotions passed over the shorter teens face and Sterling ran through what she’d said in her head, wondering if she’d said the wrong thing.

“It’s not weird, Sterl. I-Uh, maybe? Can we get through the next few periods and see how the day goes?”

Nodding, Sterling looked up as someone else came into the bathrooms and she quickly made her way out, sighing as she felt her stomach roll with nerves. 

She stopped as she ran into Blair -literally- in the hallway, causing her sister to drop her phone and folder.

“Sorry, Blair,” Sterling said, crouching down to help pick the papers up that fell from the folder. 

“It’s all good, you okay? You look pale.”

“I think I just said the wrong thing. I think she thought I was asking her on a date, not that I didn’t want to date her, I just assumed being friends would be easier on her.” 

“Oh, well,” Blair stood with Sterling. “Maybe you could let her know that?”

“Yeah, I just don’t want to force her into anything again.”

* * *

Sterling sighed as she dropped Blair off at Yogurtopia and made her way home, she was about to pull out onto the road when her phone started ringing. She pressed the button on the steering wheel to answer the call. 

“Blair, is the date bad already? What did you do?”

“ _Not Blair … April._ ”

“Oh, sorry. April, what’s up?”

“ _Do you … want to come over and study?_ ”

“Uh, yeah, sure. I can be there in ten?”

“ _Perfect, I’ll get some snacks out. Something, in particular, you’d like?_ ”

“Red vines?” Sterling asked, craving the raspberry flavoured candy. They reminded her of April’s chapstick, and her lips and the taste of them on her tongue made her heart stutter.

“ _I got them_.”

Smiling, Sterling nodded slowly. “Okay, well, I’ll see you soon then?” Sterling asked, tapping her fingers against the steering wheel. 

She’d had a song stuck in her head all day, and it reminded her so much of April. She didn’t know why it randomly popped into her head, maybe cause April’s eyes reminded her of stars the way they shined in the moonlight the night April made them debate them being together. She thought about the song, she didn’t remember it talking about shining eyes.

“ _Sterling_?”

“Huh?” Sterling glanced at her phone. “Sorry, was distracted.”

“ _While driving? Are you okay_?”

“Yeah, just a song stuck in my head. It’s fine. I’m getting off the highway now. Five minutes?”

“ _Okay, yeah… are you sure you’re okay_?”

“Yeah, April. I’m okay, I promise. Do you study with music or should I bring my headphones in?”

“ _Uh, maybe bring them just in case? My playlist varies quite a lot and I’m not sure all my music will be good for your study mindset_.”

“Alright, sounds good. I’m-“

“ _Oh, don’t go down Beaker. They’re doing roadworks and it was insane to get home._ ”

“Oh, cool, cool cool cool…”

“ _You already turned, didn’t you?_ ”

“Yeah, and I got about three cars up my arse… I can’t get out of this… I may be a little longer than planned, I’m sorry.”

“ _It’s fine, I’ll let you wait in peace, I’ll get started on my geography homework_.”

Sterling whined. “No, please? I suck at geo, April. Don’t make me do it alone.”

“ _You can summarise my work, Sterling, it’s okay._ ”

“You’re going to let me look at your work?”

“ _Sure, why not? It’s not like you’ll get a better grade than me if you’re copying my work._ ”

“True,” Sterling said, rolling her window down a little to let some fresh air into the car.

The heavy music thumping from a car or two away made her start humming as she recognised the turn. 

The music grew louder and Sterling looked around as the car behind her rolled forward slightly.

“ _They don't know how long it takes_  
 _Waiting for a love like this_  
 _Every time we say goodbye_  
 _I wish we had one more kiss_  
 _I'll wait for you, I promise you, I will_  
 _Lucky I'm in love with my best friend_  
 _Lucky to have been where I have been_  
 _Lucky to be coming home again_  
 _Lucky we're in love in every way_  
 _Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed_  
 _Lucky to be coming home someday._ ”

Sterling sang, half to herself, half out loud. She’d kinda forgotten April was still on the call until a car beeped, and Sterling jumped, looking ahead of her. The cars rolled forward slower than she wanted but she kept her eyes on the road as she threw a kind wave to the working man holding a slow/stop sign. 

_“I didn’t know you could sing, Sterl._ ”

Sterling jumped, almost swerving the car into a row of traffic cones, her eyes wide as she quickly pulled the car back into the lane and glanced behind her in the mirrors to make sure that no one behind her was affected by the sudden move.

“Shit, I thought you left,” Sterling said, glaring at her phone briefly before looking back at the road, speeding up as she passed the last worker, letting them know they were out of the slow zone. 

“ _Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you_.”

“Well, ya did,” Sterling said softly, and April could practically hear the pout that Sterling had on her lips. “I’ll be there in a minute, okay? I’m turning down your street now.”

* * *

When Sterling parked the car, she grabbed her bag and the folder filled with her homework before locking the volt.

She pulled the strap of the bag up onto her shoulder and adjusted it as she locked the car and made her way up to the house.

She pressed the doorbell and heard a noise inside followed by a crash and a loud laugh from two people- one she knew was April. The other she didn’t know despite the familiar sound.

The door opened and April laughed, behind her hand, as Sterling froze at the sight of the older woman standing in front of her. 

“Sterling Wesley, it really is you.”

“Hi, Mrs Stevens. How’s it going?”

“Oh, very well. Come on, come inside. When April said you were coming over to study together, I just had to make sure she was being truthful. Not that she’d lie, it’s just… been such a long time since you’ve both been here together. Almost like I shouldn’t leave you two alone, last time I did you two created mud castles.”

Sterling chuckled and shook her head at the memory. 

“I promise, no mud castles. Strictly homework, ma’am,” Sterling said, patting the folder in her arms. 

“Homework? Together? Alright, well, I have to get to my book club, we’re a member down this week, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to not show up even though she’s the only decent conversation.”

“Oh, yes… Sorry about that,” Sterling said. “She’s on a date.”

April’s mother raised her eyebrows and she looked at Sterling, nodding.

“You know?”

“Yeah, I know. She was bummed about missing it, but was excited about her date.”

“Well, I’ll leave you two to it then. No boys, no parties, no drugs.”

April rolled her eyes, smiling before she grabbed Sterling’s wrist, dragging her upstairs.

“Back in two hours,” April’s mother called out after them and April threw an ‘okay!’ Over her shoulder before the bedroom door shut loudly.

“Hi,” April said softly, smiling as she leaned against the closed door, her hand still wrapped around Sterling’s wrist. 

“Hi, I missed you,” Sterling said, glancing at the shorter teens hand.

“I missed you too, Sterl. I’m glad you could come over.”

“I want to talk about earlier. I think you misunderstood what I meant, it’s not that I don’t want to go on a date with you, April. I just don’t want to go back to pretending to hate you, or having to hide us. I want to be around you all the time. I want to be able to talk to you in the halls and not have to snipe at you despite it being like a form of foreplay for us.”

April swallowed, nodding slowly.

“I just… I don’t know how I feel about a relationship right now, Sterling. I do want to be with you.”

“Hey, woah… I’m not saying we have to be together, April. I was just trying to backtrack about earlier cause I felt like I made you upset.”

“Oh, no I’m fine. I promise, Honey. I’m okay. I mean, I was a little upset, but mostly because I’m not ready for commitment, or relationships, and you’re just standing there looking so kissable, with a new layer of chapstick and an innocent look on your face, and I just-“

April cut herself off, surging forward, her lips crashing against Sterling’s which knocked them both onto the bed.

Sterling grasped April’s waist in shock, her folder slapping to the floor loudly as they landed on the bed. They ignored the knock of their foreheads bopping together and one of Sterling’s hands quickly reached up, cupping April’s neck before she could move away.

“Mm, wait,” April murmured against the blonde's lips, slowly pulling away as she pressed a hand to Sterling’s shoulder to keep her from following. “We need to talk, Sterl. I want this, I do… but what about the friend thing?”

“What about it? People can be friends and in a relationship.”

“Sterling, you know what I’m talking about. I thought we agreed on being friends for now?”

“We did. I agree. Friends can kiss… isn’t that how teens practice kissing in movies? Start on their best friend?”

“You’re just saying that so I keep kissing you.”

“Absolutely, now come back and kiss me.”

April fought a smile as she rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips betraying her as they quirked up. 

“I think we should slowly work towards that.”

“What’s slower than kissing?” 

“Sterl, honey… I want to. But it’s also hard.”

“I know.”

“So, slow?”

“Slow,” Sterling said, nodding confirmingly. 

* * *

  
Slow, for Sterling and April, didn’t involve kissing, and it was agonising for both of them.

But, it did involve hand-holding.

Or, if they were at school, linked arms.

It also involved secret smiles, a lot of flirting that bothered Blair, -well, more made her roll her eyes in annoyance. It wasn’t really a bother, but Blair just wanted them to get their act together. 

But, she also understood - they wanted to mentally heal before going through all the pain and heartbreak again.

She knew that. 

April knew that. 

Sterling knew that. 

Fuck, even Sterling’s parents, April's mother, Ezekiel and Hannah knew. 

Yes, shortly after they were both allowed out of the rehab ward at the hospital, Debbie and Anderson invited April and her mother over for dinner.

They talked, drank (non-alcoholic cider for the teenagers), ate a large meal of lasagna that April volunteered to cook (which as sterling saw it, happily ate with tears of joy in her eyes).

* * *

AN: So, you’ve made it to the end of the chapter huh? You think you can read, huh?   
okay, so you proved you could read, but, can you type a comment? Think you’re that smart? Send me a comment, we’ll see how good you are!


	7. Chapter 7

TW: I think I should mention the fact that Stepril is out watching a horror movie. I will probably be explaining some murder scenes.

  
as usual, I own nothing but the ideas for making these gays do what I want...

if you seriously thought I owned Teenage Bounty Hunters, I’d be making a season 2.

* * *

  
Things progressed slow enough, they stayed friends. Three months went by of them acting like they never lost time when they parted all those years ago. 

Sterling could not wrap her mind around the fact that she was allowed to be seen in public with April. 

They had their arms linked, waiting in line at the cinema with Blair and Hannah standing behind them, softly arguing who was going to buy the popcorn and drink and who was going to buy the tickets. 

April rolled her eyes at their fighting but couldn’t help to smile over it. 

She had never seen either of the other two so happy. 

“Two tickets to slaughter masters three and a large coke and popcorn please,” Sterling said, pulling April out of her thoughts. 

April blinked and watched as Sterling handed the money to the cashier and stepped aside so that Hannah and Blair could order while they waited for their drink and snack.

A second person handed them their items and they each took one before heading to the third theatre room. 

“Hey, meet back by the entrance after our movies?” Blair asked once they caught up to Sterling and April, making them nod. 

“Ours is two and a half hours,” April said. “We should be out of here by twelve.”

“Ours finishes at eleven thirty-ish,” Blair said, glancing at her ticket. “Hannah and I will hang at the arcade area while we wait for you.”

Taking her girlfriend's free hand, Blair lightly tugged Hannah along to the next area where they’d be watching something a little less gory. It’s not that Blair didn’t want to see the new Slaughter Masters, but she couldn’t make Hannah sit through that and she wasn’t going to force it on her girlfriend.

Blair learned her lesson when she was watching The Scissoring one day while waiting for Hannah to come over. They snuggled while finishing the movie off, Hannah had jumped and squeaked the whole way through the last twenty minutes and it was the least scary part. 

Blair said she’d never make Hannah watch something she didn’t want to see. 

So now, she was sitting with her girlfriend in the back row of a theatre that was almost packed with children and their parents, waiting to see a movie about a caveman-era family.

* * *

Sterling bounced her leg nervously as the movie seemed to get more intense, the murders were piling up, literally. There were at least twenty bodies in a pile on the floor of a warehouse’s walk-in freezer. 

April rested a hand on Sterling’s knee, causing it to stop moving instantly and when Sterling turned her head, she smiled softly when she saw April looking at her already. 

“Hi,” Sterling murmured, shifting closer to April slightly. 

April grinned, her teeth gleaming in the pale light reflecting from the movie. 

Sterling swallowed her nerves and lifted her arm over the back of April’s chair, her hand setting down on the shorter teens shoulder, causing April to laugh quietly and scooch closer, resting her head on Sterling’s shoulder.

“Don’t go in there,” Sterling murmured as she watched a cop walking around with a flashlight and a gun, it was obviously shaking from how much fear the cop had in his body. 

“Shhh,” April said softly, bringing a hand up to cover Sterling’s mouth.

Sterling swiped her tongue across April’s hand, causing the shorter teen to jump and pull her hand away quickly, sending a light glare towards Sterling who just grinned innocently.

April rolled her eyes, wiping her hand on Sterling’s arm as Sterling tried her hardest not to laugh at the disgusted look on the shorter teens face.

As a woman tried to run from one of the murderers barefoot over broken glass, another of the killers jumped out in front of her as she glanced behind herself to see how far she was away from the other. 

She turned and screamed along with a woman on the other end of Sterling and April’s row screaming. 

April chuckled darkly as she stroked her thumb over Sterling's hand and Sterling turned her head, grinning before looking back up at the screen. 

The scene jumped to the woman who was just running now being hung from meat hooks by her skin, her head slumped but chest still moving shallowly. 

“Oh god are they gonna-” Sterling asked in a hushed whisper (mostly to herself), as one of the men lowered the hook slightly and grabbed a large cleaver. 

“Delicious,” April commented dryly as they began chopping the woman up and feasting on her flesh while she screamed. 

Sterling snorted a laugh and quickly moved to cover her mouth as the end credits started to roll.

They stayed in their seats a moment longer, waiting till everyone around them walked out so they weren’t rushed out of there in front of people. 

Just as Sterling stood, stretched and popped her back, neck and fingers, another scream came from the speakers, causing the two teens to look up at the screen as it flickered and then showed a gun being loaded and being shot off. 

A body thudded, Sterling looked at April and grinned. “Wanna see the next one with me whenever it comes out?”

“Sure. It’s a da- sure,” April said with a nod, smiling nervously. 

“You can say date if you want April, I don’t want to rush you. I understand the difference between Date and _Date_.”

Standing, April put the empty cup into the finished popcorn bucket and stepped out of the aisle of seats they were in, slowly making her way down the stairs towards the exit. 

Sterling came down after her and grabbed the trash, stuffing it down into a bin as April made her way across the hall to the bathrooms.

Sterling waited by the doors and leaned on the wall, powering her phone on. 

“Do you need to go?” April asked as she came back out of the bathrooms, shaking her hands dry. 

Sterling shook her head and followed April down the hall towards the arcade where they saw Hannah and Blair cuddling.

Blair was leaning against Hannah’s front, both of them looking at something on Blair’s phone, a bright smile on their lips. 

Blair lifted and turned her head, kissing Hannah’s cheek. 

“Hey,” Sterling said, gaining her sister's attention. 

“Hey, how was it?” 

“Amazing, and the credits scene- god, I can’t wait to see whoever was shot get shot.”

“Nice, lunch?”

The other three teens nodded and Blair pulled away from her girlfriend, taking her hand. 

“Where do we want to go?” Sterling asked, looping her arm through April’s. 

“Subway?” Hannah asked, looking at the others. 

Blair shrugged. “I don’t care, I’m hungry enough for that.”

“I could do with something healthier after all that popcorn,” April said as she pulled her keys out and handed them to Sterling. 

All four moved to get into April’s car.

“So, subway then?” Sterling asked as she started the car. 

“Yeah,” Blair said and relaxed against her girlfriend. She pointed to Sterling and April’s joined hands on the gearshift and Hannah giggled, her own hand slipping into Blair’s.

* * *

  
“Oh god,” Sterling said as she took a seat beside April, handing her the sandwich she ordered. 

“What?” 

Sterling nodded her head towards a woman. “She's the CPS lady that came and saw me in the hospital. She thought I’d been starved by my parents.”

April rolled her eyes. “Wouldn’t they starve Blair too?”

Sterling shrugged, watching the woman move to order as Blair and Hannah slid into the other side of the booth. 

“𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑟?”

“𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡?”

“𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐶𝑃𝑆 𝑙𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.”

“𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒?” Blair looked around quickly and then growled as her eyes landed on Avery. 

“Everything okay, babe?” Hannah asked. 

“Yeah, super, Han. Eat your lunch, sweetie.” Blair stood, making her way over to Avery. She tapped her shoulder and waited barely a moment for her to turn. 

“Blair?” Avery asked, eyebrows creasing in confusion.

“Yeah, you stalking Sterling?”

“Uh, no? I’m here getting lunch,” Avery said, gesturing to the food being made behind the counter.

“Really? And what, you just happened to be at the mall yesterday too?”

Avery shrugged. “It’s not that big of a town, kid. I have better things to do than follow a teenager.”

“So? If I see you anywhere near Sterling… you’ll be in a world of hurt, got it?”

Avery scoffed a laugh and nodded. “Noted, can I pay for my lunch now?” 

Blair shrugged, walking back over to the table. “Let’s blow up her car.”

Sterling rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “Not worth it, Blair.”

“I don’t think blowing up a car is worth anything, Blair,” April said as she reached for her drink. 

“Can’t stalk us if she can’t follow us.” Blair shrugged.

“How about we plan something else to do after we eat?” Sterling asked, making Hannah nod quickly. 

“I’ve got to study for a history exam, Sterl,” April said, a sad smile on her lips.

“Exam? In history?” Sterling frowned, trying to remember if they’d been assigned one.

“Yeah, on the effects of- crap.” Hannah’s eyes widened. “I need to study too.”

“Study date?” Sterling asked, looking at the other three teens. “We can get a bunch of food and study at one of our houses and…”

“Our place? Mum and dad are out of town, remember?” Blair looked at her sister, then her girlfriend and raised an eyebrow. 

“𝑆𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦, 𝐵𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑟?”

“𝑨𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑒𝑟. 𝐹𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑢𝑠.”

“Well, yeah…” sterling nodded slowly before looking and Hannah and April. “Study date?”

“I’m in. I’ll cook for us,” April said. “I think I’ve had enough junk for the day.”

“Please no vegetables,” Hannah said, scrunching her face up. “Not being home away from my mother while she’s on a health kick is my only excuse to eat something that actually tastes good.”

“Relax, Hannah,” April said with a smile. “I know just the thing. I’ll drop you three at Sterl and Blair’s house and go get my books and some groceries.”

“Can I come? I want to get some food too,” sterling said before she bit her lip nervously. 

As sterling and Blair’s phone chimed simultaneously, sterling pulled her phone from her pocket and handed it to April. “Can you…?”

April took the device as sterling kept her eyes on the road. 

“Bowser says… “Girls, emergency at the shop. Meet me ASAP.”

Sterling glanced at Blair in the rearview and the brunette nodded. 

“Mind if we take a detour?” Sterling asked, looking at April as she pulled up at a stoplight. 

“Work is important, sterling. Go, Hannah and I can go shopping and meet up with you two later.”

“Why don’t you two start studying after shopping and we can just call you when we’re done?” Blair offered. “We can get Bowser to drop us somewhere.”

“Y-Yeah, okay. Just be careful, okay?” April asked and sterling nodded, turning as the light went green instead of straight as she’d originally planned. 

“What’re you doing? Yogurtopia is that way?”

“If there’s something at the actual store Blair, I’m not pulling April and Hannah into it. We’re walking from a block down.”

April set her hand back on Sterlings and stroked her thumb over the blondes knuckles. “It’s gonna be okay, right?”

“Of course, I’m sure it’ll just be some research for a new job or something. We shouldn’t be too long.”

* * *

As Blair got out of the car, sterling licked her lips nervously as she and April got out so April could drive and Hannah could move to the passenger front seat. 

“I’ll text you when we’re done, okay?” Sterling rested her hand on April’s hip, leaning in to kiss her forehead. 

“You better, or I won’t help with your studying.”

There was no real threat to the shorter teens words. Sterling smiled and nodded, stepping back as she held the door for April to get into the car and shut it once April’s belt was clicked into place.

* * *

  
_COMING SOON:_

_ “Little help!” Blair called out, pulling sterling and bowser outside quickly, blood on the ground around her.   
_

* * *

Comments? Thoughts? Ready to murder me yet?


End file.
